DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this Phase I application is to develop a new quantitative clinical biomarker for subarachnoid hemorrhage
(SAH). Acute headache is initially screened for SAH by computed tomography
(CT). CT-negative patients suspected of SAH are then screened for cerebrspinal
fluid (CSF) xanthochromia, which has documented limitations and is not
FDA-approved. The present application proposes to develop a new biomarker,
cleaved MAP-tau (C-tau). The proposed biomarker should demonstrate increased
sensitivity and specificity, as well as, improving point of care treatment by
using immunocard technology.
We have developed a sandwich ELISA that specifically quantifies this neuronally
localized protein, C-tau, that is released from damaged neurons. Employing our
C-tau ELISA, we demonstrate in preliminary studies that CSF C-tau levels are
elevated 1 ,000 fold in SAH patients compared to neurologic controls. Our
Specific Aims are:
Specific Aim 1: Determine if CSF C-tau levels are significantly elevated in
CT-negative acute headache patients with SAH compared patients without SAH
determined at three month follow up (N=150).
Specific Aim 2: Determine if differences in CSF C-tau level between SAH(+) and
SAH(-) patients are time dependent (Specific Aim 1).